Suarez Blow For World Cup Top Scorer Punters

There was bad news for World Cup top scorer bettors when Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez announced Luis Suarez will not start in the Group D match against Costa Rica in Forteleza today.

Suarez was not named in Uruguay’s starting eleven when Tabarez revealed the team at Friday’s press meeting. The Liverpool striker had hoped to recover from a minor knee operation in time for the start of Uruguay’s World Cup campaign but the manager named Diego Forlan to partner Edinson Cavani in attack.

Tabarez told reporters: "We're just about to go out and train on the pitch now and you never know what will happen.

"We are increasing (Suarez's) pace of recovery and up until now there have been no glitches.

"Yesterday afternoon Suarez did the most important thing in training, which is play football.

"We still have one day to go. We don't want to jump the gun. We have prepared not to have him, but it would be wonderful to have him. We have to be very careful."

The news came as a blow to punters who have backed Suarez to be World Cup top scorer. It was thought the injury would not hamper his participation at the World Cup finals and he came to Brazil having scored 31 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League last season.

Bookmakers have eased Suarez top scorer odds and he is now top priced 40/1 at 888sport having been as short as 16/1 prior to the tournament.

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